This disclosure relates to electrically conducting polymeric compositions, methods of manufacture thereof and articles comprising the same.
Electronic products emit electromagnetic radiation that can adversely affect the performance of other electrical products located in the vicinity of these products. It is therefore desirable to shield electronic products, such as computers, word processors, display screens, mobile phones, DVD players, digital cameras, household appliances, or the like, from emitted electromagnetic radiation.
Metal coatings have been used to shield electronic products and users from electromagnetic radiation. Metal coatings are not very flexible, cannot be easily manufactured and are therefore impractical for many applications. Furthermore, metal coatings can be expensive, making their use economically impractical or undesirable.
Polymeric compositions that provide electromagnetic shielding are commercially available but these compositions usually contain large amounts of electrically conductive fillers. The incorporation of large amounts of electrically conductive fillers generally reduces the ease of processability of such polymeric compositions. Large amounts of electrically conductive fillers also reduce impact strength.
In addition, the use of large amounts of electrically conductive fillers is detrimental to mechanical properties of the polymeric composition. For example, as the amount of the electrically conductive filler is increased, the tensile elastic modulus increases, but this is generally accompanied by a decrease in the ductility.
It is therefore desirable to have an electrically conducting polymeric composition that provides effective electromagnetic shielding, that is flexible, is easy to manufacture, and maintains good mechanical strength and processability.